Chiefs took SB spin-move trick play from 1948 Rose Bowl
Early in Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs faced a fourth-and-1 situation on the San Francisco 49ers' 5-yard line. The Chiefs decided to go for it and called a running play that involved four players spinning before the snap.
It turns out the play - which saw running back Damien Williams take a direct snap and pick up the first down - was gleaned from a college football game more than 70 years ago.
"That play comes from – if I'm not mistaken – a 1949 Rose Bowl," Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. "I probably shouldn't be giving this away. The Rose Bowl Michigan versus USC (the 1948 Rose Bowl). And so, it's just a play that we've been working and wondering when we can polish it off.
"It was fun to watch. It was fun to watch. And those guys did a great job of executing it. I mean all that hard work and practicing that play for the entire season, it just worked and it paid off."
Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy says he got this play design from watching this old Rose Bowl game. Michigan ran it over & over in a 49-0 win over USC pic.twitter.com/0uGYxxUnST
— Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) February 3, 2020
After picking up the first down, the Chiefs collected a touchdown two plays later on a run by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Bieniemy was said to be a leading head coaching candidate in the most recent cycle. He interviewed with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers following the 2019 regular season, but he didn't land a new role.
The 50-year-old's tenure with the Chiefs started in 2013 as the running backs coach. In 2018, Bieniemy was promoted to offensive coordinator. He helped Kansas City finish with the first- and fifth-ranked scoring offense in 2018 and '19, respectively.